My parents and I think I might need anxiety medication because I have terrible panic/anxiety attacks over the littlest things, sometimes not so little though. Like all the times I was sexually assaulted, I would have this sort of anxiety attack where I just shut down. No fight or flight response, I would freeze, I can't move, I can't speak, and I can't even breathe. Obviously it's a pretty bad thing, and that's obviously where it comes into play with serious situations. However small things trigger them too sometimes. For example, sometime around the time I was 10 I developed a small fear of elevators whereas before I loved them. I don't know why but I started to get worried it would fall and I'd die or something, for no reason at all. Well last week we went to a hotel and got put on the second floor, and I swear when we pack for a night it's like enough to go for days. Anyway, so we had to take the trolley into the elevator, and after going up I got super dizzy, I couldn't walk straight, I felt sick, I was hyperventilating and in general freaking out for no reason, I just broke down in tears and pain on the bed. Then a few minutes later the dizziness went away, the sick feeling did and it was fine, but during that time I had to stay in the beetle position and I just lost it. So yeah, I think I might want to try some medication because in everyday life this happens and I just can't handle it.

"It's all well and good to apologize to me but if at the end of the day I still mean so little to you, then treat me like a puppy and leave me on the street you dumped me on, don't come back to pick me up just so you can drop me on the concrete again." -Cheye Masters

Medication isn't the first or best line of treatment for anxiety. I would recommend you try therapy first if you haven't, therapy is meant to be the permanent solution to anxiety where medication is meant to help you get through the therapy if needed.

Medication isn't the first or best line of treatment for anxiety. I would recommend you try therapy first if you haven't, therapy is meant to be the permanent solution to anxiety where medication is meant to help you get through the therapy if needed.

Sorry, Rick, this ^ is incorrect.

There is often a biological component to anxiety, and meds (typically SSRI's like Prozac, which are often used and approved for folks under 18) are incredibly helpful..often completely eliminating the symptoms entirely. A thorough assessment of the symptoms as well as the history best determine if meds are the first line of treatment or not, and how likely they are to relieve symptoms.

I'm all for therapy (being a psychologist I specialize in that and have devoted my life to it). However, there are times when meds are not only indicated, but the preferred treatment. With anxiety, esp. if it's paralyzing, meds are typically used quite successfully....therapy is an added benefit to help the person adjust to the behavioral, interpersonal, and emotional impact of the anxiety.

Yeah, I was in therapy over the summer but I stopped going. We couldn't always afford the $5 a week, and I also don't think it helped much, but I was going for depression and my eating disorder, not really anxiety. Point is we can't always afford therapy, I've actually stopped taking my anti-depressants because we can't always afford $10 a month for them, and it would only be more expensive with anxiety medication too, but just asking others opinions on me even talking to my doctor about it.

"It's all well and good to apologize to me but if at the end of the day I still mean so little to you, then treat me like a puppy and leave me on the street you dumped me on, don't come back to pick me up just so you can drop me on the concrete again." -Cheye Masters

You'd know more than I would. I was just repeating what all of my psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and psych nurses have told me since I was 17.

Rick, I do not doubt this to be true in your case! Everyone is different, and it's entirely possible that for you, meds are not the way to go. My point is that there's no generalizable, one size fits all approach to anxiety treatment. So, what works for someone isn't necessarily indicative of what will work for another.

I would just like to point out that we do not know if Dr. Bobby is actually a psychologist as he says he is. So be careful with what he says and how you interpret it just like you would with anyone else on this website. Don't just take his word for it because he is a psychologist as he says.

Yeah, I was in therapy over the summer but I stopped going. We couldn't always afford the $5 a week, and I also don't think it helped much, but I was going for depression and my eating disorder, not really anxiety. Point is we can't always afford therapy, I've actually stopped taking my anti-depressants because we can't always afford $10 a month for them, and it would only be more expensive with anxiety medication too, but just asking others opinions on me even talking to my doctor about it.

They actually use antidepressants for the longterm treatment of anxiety. There's no harm in talking to your doctor about this or anything else, they are there primarily to answer your questions.

On a side note, maybe you could ask your doctor about getting free samples of your medication if you're having trouble affording it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by katpanda

I would just like to point out that we do not know if Dr. Bobby is actually a psychologist as he says he is. So be careful with what he says and how you interpret it just like you would with anyone else on this website. Don't just take his word for it because he is a psychologist as he says.

This is one of the reasons I take everything he says with a grain of salt. That and he keeps answering psychiatry questions like he's an expert in that too and that's like me answering metre instrumentation questions because I'm an electrician.

Hi
There's no denying that there's some use to medicine, but it could take a while to find the right one. I've gone through a few and I didn't like them, mostly for side effects; I'm in a sort of "giving up" state in that department.
But what I mainly didn't like is feeling like I had to take them. Feeling dependent on meds took away what little self-esteem I had. Maybe I'm not the best judge in weight pride vs. medicine, but the most normal I've ever felt is when I'm not on them.
But then, my anxiety has gotten worse, and my panic attacks more often. So clearly I don't feel normal then.
In the end, you just have to weigh the pros vs. the cons. Make a list of all the things that you would benefit from by taking meds (less anxiety, less panic attacks), then think of all the bad (possible side effects, possible pride). If the good outweighs the bad, than maybe you should consider it.
I hope this helped! *hug* ~

I think you should work on your phobias like with elevators maybe with a doctor, that way you wont panic over smaller things often. And then work on your bigger anxiety issues with the help of medicine+therapy. It can take a while to find the right medicine or combination of medicine but it will be worth it in the end.
you can PM me whenever you want to talk and stay strong!